Making Picric Acid from Aspirin by the Jolly Roger

Picric Acid can be used as a booster explosive in detonators, a high explosive charge, or as an intermediate to preparing lead picrate.

Material Required

Procedure:
  1. Crush 20 aspirin tablets in a glass container. Add 1 teaspoon of water and work into a paste.
  2. Add approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of alcohol (100 millilitres) to the aspirin paste; stir while pouring.
  3. Filter the alcohol-aspirin solution through a paper towel into another glass container. Discard the solid left in the paper towel.
  4. Pour the filtered solution into a glass or ceramic dish.
  5. Evaporate the alcohol and water from the solution by placing the dish into a pan of hot water. White powder will remain in the dish after evaporation.
    NOTE: The water in the pan should be at hot bath temperature, not boiling, approx. 160 to 180 degress farenheit. It should not burn the hands.
  6. Pour 1/3 cup (80 millilitres) of concentrated sulfuric acid into a canning jar. Add the white powder to the sulfuric acid.
  7. Heat canning jar of sulfuric acid in a pan of simmering hot water bath for 15 minutes; then remove jar from the bath. Solution will turn to a yellow-orange color.
  8. Add 3 level teaspoons (15 grams) of potassium nitrate in three portions to the yellow-orange solution; stir vigorously during additions. Solution will turn red, then back to a yellow-orange color.
  9. Allow the solution to cool to ambient room temperature while stirring occasionally.
  10. Slowly pour the solution, while stirring, into 1-1/4 cup (300 millilitres) of cold water and allow to cool.
  11. Filter the solution through a paper towel into a glass container. Light yellow particles will collect on the paper towel.
  12. Wash the light yellow particles with 2 tablespoons (25 millilitres) of water. Discard the waste liquid in the container.
  13. Place articles in ceramic dish and set in a hot water bath, as in step 5, for 2 hours.
Compiled by: Exodus